When Alice Spencer was born on May 4, 1559, at the family home of Althorp, no one would have guessed she would become one of the great magnates and patrons of literary arts during the Elizabethan and early Jacobean era. By the time of her birth, as the youngest of eight daughters of Sir John Spencer and Katherine Kytson, the Spencer family had gained a substantial fortune through sheep farming and proficient land management. It would be Alice’s fate to marry a man who had royal blood and a claim to the English throne.
Alice and her sisters mostly lived in the family homes of Althorp, Wormleighton, and London. The Spencer children received an education under the supervision of their mother and household servants and were taught to read, write, embroider, draw, and manage a household with further instruction in literature, the Protestant religion, and music. Music played a prominent role in the Spencer household, where they frequently hosted musicians and minstrels. In her late teens, Alice joined her elder sisters at court.
In 1580, Alice’s parents arranged for her to marry Ferdinando Stanley, Lord Strange, heir to the fourth Earl of Derby. Ferdinando was the great-great-grandson of King Henry VII with his grandmother being Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII, by her daughter Eleanor Brandon. According to the will of King Henry VIII, Ferdinando had a claim to the English throne.
Queen Elizabeth I’s great favorite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, promoted this match as he knew Alice’s family well, having invested in their sheep enterprise. The wedding ceremony probably took place in the chapel near Knowsley Hall, the Stanley’s family seat in Lancashire, with the Earl of Leicester in attendance. Dudley had failed to get the queen’s approval of the marriage and Elizabeth I directed her anger over the situation toward Leicester. Eventually, she gave her consent.
Alice had dark hair and eyes and a long, thin nose and was considered beautiful, cultured, and well-educated. She entered the Queen’s household and became a prominent member of the court. Now called Lady Strange, the couple lived on the Stanley estates of Knowsley Hall and Lathom Hall. Ferdinando’s family controlled property in the north of England in the counties of Cheshire and Lancaster, as well as the Isle of Man. When the Earl of Derby was away on business for the queen, the young couple would oversee the management of the large Derby estates, so Alice learned the ropes early in the marriage.
As her husband was one of the richest noblemen in the country, he sponsored actors and playwrights and wrote his own poetry. Even before they were married, Ferdinando had formed a troupe of acrobats called Lord Strange’s Tumblers. In the winter of 1580-1, they performed during the Christmas festivities before the queen at Whitehall. Alice and Ferdinando became enthusiastic literary, musical, and theatrical patrons, routinely funding playwrights, musicians, and poets.
Ferdinando’s tumblers developed into a more significant acting troupe called Lord Strange’s Men, which rivalled the groups formed by the Earl of Leicester, the Earl of Essex, and others. Particularly fond of Fernando’s London residence in Holborn and the family seat of Knowsley, Alice encouraged the visitation of these acting companies in her home during the 1580s. Alice herself performed frequently in masques at court.
Lord Strange’s Men traveled throughout England and performed in London and may have had an association with William Shakespeare. Many writers dedicated their works to the couple. Edmund Spenser dedicated his poem Tears of the Muses to Alice in 1591.
Alice became pregnant a few months after her wedding. She would eventually give birth to three daughters, Anne in 1581, Frances in 1583 and Elizabeth in 1588. All three women would make good marriages. Anne married first, Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos of Sudeley and second, Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven. Frances married John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater and Elizabeth married Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon.
In the winter of 1582, following the birth of her first child, Alice’s father and father-in-law negotiated a jointure for her intended for the advancement and preferment of any children, male or female, that Alice might give birth to in the future. This agreement confirmed a settlement made at the time of their marriage of £1040 in rental income, as well as the promise of manors, pastures and meadows to be held in reserve for Alice’s future use for the rest of her life in the event Ferdinando predeceased her.
The agreement guaranteed any daughters Alice had a dowry of a share of £2000. This document guaranteed Alice and her children’s financial future and strengthened the ties between the Stanley and Spencer families. The old Earl of Derby died in September 1593. Now the Earl and Countess of Derby, Alice and Ferdinando took over the duties of governing the Derby patrimony. Most of Ferdinando’s followers were Catholic, but he tried to remain neutral and not offend anyone.
However, the couple were under suspicion immediately. The old Earl had not fully embraced the new faith as subscribed by Queen Elizabeth I in the Injunctions of 1559. And Ferdinando’s mother, Margaret Clifford, remained a Catholic until the day she died. According to Henry VIII’s will, Margaret had a claim to the throne through her grandmother, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Duchess of Suffolk. Margaret had also provoked Queen Elizabeth I with her vociferous support of the Queen’s marriage to Francis, Duke of Anjou.
All candidates for the throne of England were under some kind of surveillance at this time and almost as soon as he became Earl, Catholic plotters in exile on the Continent endeavored to persuade Ferdinando to claim the crown, sending a messenger named Richard Hesketh with letters. Ferdinando prudently turned the messenger over to Queen Elizabeth’s officers and they executed Hesketh in November 1593.
Although Elizabeth did not pursue any charges against Ferdinando, his power and influence were curtailed. He became violently ill in April 1594 and died after eleven days. There were the usual rumors of poisoning when someone died unexpectedly. But it appears the actual cause of death was most likely a burst appendix, leading to acute peritonitis.
Ferdinando’s will specified Alice and his daughters inherit the unentailed lands and income of his estate, but his brother William, the new Earl of Derby, realized the estate had enormous debts and would not give either Alice or her daughters the titles to their inherited properties. This resulted in a long series of bitter legal disputes, which were finally resolved by an Act of Parliament in 1607. Alice realized she needed help with these legal challenges and may have resolved to marry again. During these disputes, Alice encountered the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Thomas Egerton.
In March 1595, Alice and William agreed Alice could keep her jointure and each of her daughters received a considerable cash payment. Alice had already granted leases on these properties and William argued this violated the arbitration agreement. Alice petitioned Thomas Egerton in the equitable courts and eventually an argument over control of the Isle of Man caused the arrangement to collapse.
Alice believed she needed to take drastic measures to save her patrimony for herself and her daughters. She found her man in Thomas Egerton. The queen had appointed Egerton to the post of Lord Keeper of the Great Seal at the time of Alice’s case. In addition, he served as acting lord chancellor without the pay and perquisites. After a series of complicated transactions, Alice and Thomas married in secret in October 1600.
Part of the nuptial arrangements called for Alice’s daughter Frances to marry Egerton’s heir, John. Thomas issued a chancery decree confirming the descent of Derby land in the midlands to Alice for life, with the rights eventually passing on to Frances, John, and their heirs. Alice would use the title of Dowager Countess of Derby until her death. Obviously, this was a marriage of convenience. Upon the issue of a dispensation for the marriage by Queen Elizabeth in 1601, Egerton purchased Harefield House for Alice in Middlesex, which she renovated.
Alice and Thomas entertained Queen Elizabeth at York House in London in 1601 and in 1602, hosted the queen’s summer progress at Harefield. They spent over £2000, and it would be one of the most lavish entertainments of the era. Alice contributed several books to the Egerton library, and they both shared an interest in building the collection. Alice entertained many noble ladies at York House, which served as her central London abode.
The relationship between Alice and Thomas had issues. He tended toward miserliness and did not appreciate Alice’s lavish spending. However, Thomas purchased the Stanley manor of Ellesmere in 1600 for the family title, forcing William, Earl of Derby to settle £20,000 upon Alice and her daughters. Because of William’s inability to meet the demanding terms of the agreement, Egerton forced him to buy out the heirs for nearly £30,000 in 1609. This deal included Alice’s alleged title to the descent of the Isle of Man.
Alice had made brilliant marriages for her three daughters, and a final settlement with her brother-in-law ended the contentious legal proceedings. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth in March 1603, James VI, King of Scots acceded to the throne of England as James I. The Spencer family hosted James’ queen, Anna of Denmark at Althorp and Alice took part in the festivities by commissioning Ben Johnson to create a masque as entertainment.
King James appointed Egerton Lord Chancellor with all rights and appurtenances and, in July 1603, the king elevated him to the title of Lord Ellesmere. No one could describe the marriage of Alice and Thomas as a love match, but they both shared a commitment to furthering their status in life, even if they did not have a uniform plan to do so. Egerton had prestige and money when he married Alice, but she brought him true wealth. The couple were financially and politically successful, but personally and emotionally, they were miserable.
Thomas’ physical and emotional health deteriorated, and he tried to resign his position several times. But the king refused to accept. Finally, on March 5, 1617, the king relented, promising him an earldom. As they drew up the papers to elevate him to the title of Viscount Brackley, Thomas died on March 15 at his home of York House. There is no record of his last hours or where Alice was at the time.
Alice filed a probate petition against the confirmation of Egerton’s will, even though Egerton stipulated she would lose any of his inheritance if she did so. This act shows Alice’s fixation on amassing as much wealth as possible. She put her own daughter Frances Egerton’s inheritance in jeopardy. The court confirmed a special probate of the will in favor of John Egerton. John wanted peace with Alice and allowed her jointure to stand. He would continue to protect Alice’s interests, most likely at the urging of his wife.
August 10, 1621, her daughter Anne’s husband, Lord Grey, died. Alice quickly acted to secure the wardship of her grandson, George. This allowed her to control his inheritance and gave her the authority to arrange his marriage. In May 1622, King James granted Alice the wardship, and she became George’s legal guardian. His brother William also came to live with Alice at Harefield. Anne’s three daughters remained in their mother’s custody.
As a widow and an adult, Anne could choose her next husband. She married Mervyn Tuchet, second Earl of Castlehaven, an Irish title. Her choice did not please her family, as his status was lower than Anne’s. While his family had neither respect nor wealth, Castlehaven had financial stability. Unfortunately, Castlehaven’s brother was a recusant Catholic and ended up in prison. The fortunes of the Tuchet family were in free fall and King Charles I stripped Castlehaven of most of his local offices. Alice did not come to the aid of her daughter.
Anne realized her colossal mistake within a week of her marriage when Castlehaven disclosed to his new wife he wished to observe her having sex with other men, specifically a few of his favorite household servants. She adamantly refused this request. This did not stop Castlehaven from having his servant Skipwith sexually exploit Anne’s daughter Elizabeth, who had been married to Castlehaven’s son and heir Audley. He promised to make any children born from the affair his heir, thus disinheriting Audley.
Finally, one autumn night in 1630, Castlehaven and his servant Broadway surprised Anne in bed. While Castlehaven held her down, Broadway raped her. By the beginning of November, Audley, thoroughly disgusted with his father’s antics with his wife, went before the Privy Council with the claim that his father was trying to swindle him out of his inheritance. His complaint never mentioned Anne’s assault, showing he did not know about it. If he had, he would probably have never filed the complaint for financial misconduct. If criminal charges were involved, the Crown would inherit his estate.
The Privy Council sent investigators to assess the situation. In interviews with the servants and family members, it became clear Castlehaven had many lovers in the household, male and female. When they questioned Anne’s daughter Elizabeth, she divulged all she knew, sparing no details. The investigators interviewed Anne, compelling her to disclose her own assault. Chaos ensued.
They sent Elizabeth away to safety. Anne went to live with the Bishop of Winchester. Just after New Year, 1631, Anne officially accused Broadway of raping her. They sent Castlehaven, Broadway, and another servant to the Tower of London. Alice maintained a complete and total absence from the scandal. They charged Castlehaven with buggery and as an accessory to rape.
They determined the charge for the rape of his wife could be levelled against Castlehaven as he had assisted Broadway in the act and the trial would take place in the Lord Steward’s Court as he was a member of the peerage. The court chose the judges and jury and two of Castlehaven’s servants, as well as Anne, were to testify against him. The judges decided Anne should not appear in person and her testimony would be read on her behalf.
The trial took place at Westminster on April 25, 1631. They found Castlehaven guilty of rape with a unanimous decision by the jury. On the second charge of buggery, a decision of 14-13 found him guilty. The sentence for the guilty verdicts was execution, but it was up to King Charles to decide. Charles upheld the conviction of Castlehaven and decreed the sentence of beheading in lieu of hanging. The execution took place at Tower Green on May 14, 1631.
Alice petitioned the king for her daughter to join her at Harefield and the king granted her request. A week after Castlehaven’s execution, Alice wrote to the king stating she would not accept her daughter or her granddaughter in her home until they received a royal pardon. A deal was made for Audley to pay Elizabeth £300 per annum for life, but he would not live with her. Alice and Anne also agreed to pay Elizabeth £200 pounds per year, but Alice would not allow Elizabeth to live in her household.
While continuing to seek royal pardons for her daughter and granddaughter, Alice granted Anne the use of her manor at Ruislip. On November 14, 1631, Anne received a royal pardon for the crimes of adultery, fornication, and incontinency. The king pardoned Elizabeth for the same offences sixteen days later.
Alice continued to live at Harefield House and traveled from there to the estates of her daughters and sons-in-law, the countess and earl of Bridgewater and the countess and earl of Huntingdon at Ashridge, Hertfordshire and Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. Her home became a cultural community where she trained her grandchildren for public life. She hired schoolteachers and musicians and staged extravagant masques in which her grandchildren acted.
Some time in 1632 or 1633, Alice hosted a grand entertainment at Harefield Place. She commissioned a promising poet named John Milton to create a masque for the occasion. Two years later, they hired Milton again for another entertainment at Ludlow in celebration of her son-in-law’s promotion to the post of President of the Marches of Wales. It would be the last splendid family festivity attended by Alice.
Her daughter Elizabeth died on January 1633, and Frances died in March 1636. Alice drew up her will on December 24, 1637. Her health failed, and she died on January 26, 1638. They transported her remains to the elaborate tomb she had constructed in the upper chancel of the parish church, St Mary the Virgin of Harefield. She bequeathed clothes and money to the poor of Cobham, Harefield, Hillington and Weybridge. Arrangements were made to create a charitable trust to build a hospital for the poor. Provisions were made for her servants, her children, and grandchildren, and she urged them to live in peace. Alice had dedicated her life to taking care of her children and grandchildren while enthusiastically pursuing a cultural life.
Further reading: “A Woman of Influence: The Spectacular Rise of Alice Spencer in Tudor England” by Vanessa Wilkie, entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography on Alice Spencer, countess of Derby written by Louis A. Knafla, entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography on Thomas Egerton, first Viscount Brackley written by J.H. Baker, entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography on Ferdinando Stanley, fifth earl of Derby written by David Kathman
